1.
inorganic; mineral
Refers to inorganic matter or minerals, as opposed to organic substances.
無機質を摂る。
To take in minerals.
野菜には無機質が豊富に含まれている。
Vegetables are rich in minerals.
人体に必要な無機質は食事から摂取できる。
The minerals the body needs can be obtained from food.
2.
cold and impersonal; sterile; lacking warmth
Describes something that feels emotionless, mechanical, or lacking in human warmth. Often used for spaces, designs, or atmospheres.
無機質な部屋だ。
It's a cold, impersonal room.
無機質な声で淡々と読み上げた。
They read it aloud in a flat, emotionless voice.
コンクリートの壁に囲まれた無機質な空間が広がっていた。
A cold, sterile space surrounded by concrete walls stretched out before them.
Has two distinct uses: a scientific term for inorganic minerals, and a figurative adjective describing things that lack warmth or personality. The figurative sense is more common in everyday conversation.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 無機質な空間 — cold, sterile space
- 無機質な表情 — emotionless expression
- 無機質な声 — flat, impersonal voice
- 無機質な建物 — impersonal building
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 冷たい — cold; describes temperature or emotional coldness, but more personal and directed
- 殺風景 — bleak, dreary; focuses on visual barrenness of a scene
- 味気ない — bland, uninteresting; emphasizes lack of flavor or charm